Amtrak bus route kicks off in ENC

A new Amtrak bus route in Eastern North Carolina kicked off Tuesday with an inaugural run.

Amtrak opened two new bus routes connecting Eastern North Carolina to railway service in Wilson, NC.

The trip started in Morehead City and made stops in Havelock, New Bern and Greenville, and lastly Wilson. From there, passengers can take the Palmetto service out of Wilson, which serves more than 20 stations between New York and Savannah. The service also connects to the Amtrak National Network, which covers most of the country.

Several local leaders participated in the inaugural trip, including Morehead City Mayor, Jerry Jones, who was among the first aboard.

“It’s wonderful,” Jones said about the bus ride. “It's like a walk back in time.”Mayor Jones said he's been part of a group trying to get railroad service back to Eastern Carolina for years, and this is finally the answer.

“This is the beginning,” he said. “We’re going to take off from here.”

Other cities services in the routes include Wilmington, Jacksonville, Kinston and Goldsboro.

Service is available to passengers beginning Wednesday. Tickets can be purchased online at Amtrak’s web site.

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